


See, real!

by bunnysworld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Celebrities, First Meetings, M/M, Online Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 07:32:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4382837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy has this online thing going with a cute guy, but Gwaine isn't convinced. Finally, Percy musters the courage to ask to meet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	See, real!

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'd.
> 
> Written for Merlin_writers Tropes Bingo. Square: Online romance and celebrity.

Percy sat on his bed and smiled at his laptop.

Gwaine came in and bit into an apple. “Oh no, not again!” He rolled his eyes.

Shutting the lid of the laptop down immediately, Percy blushed. “What? It’s none of your business.”

Slumping into a chair, Gwaine swivelled it from one side to the other and just looked at his friend. “We need to get you out more.”

“There is nothing wrong with what I’m doing.”

“If you at least saw it for what it was: Cybersex. But no, you have to fall for someone who’s not even real!” Gwaine sighed.

Percy pouted. “It’s not like that!”

“You don’t even wank over each other? That’s sick, Percy! What do you even know about this bloke?”

“He’s 29, lives in London, works for a large law firm, plays footie…”

“That’s what he told you. Do you know if any of this is true? He might be an ugly old creep who just likes young flesh.”

“He’s not!” Percy insisted, a stubborn little frown on his forehead.

“If he’s in London, why don’t you just go meet? For how long is this going on already, Percy? Four months? Something is wrong!”

“I’m busy, he’s busy…” Percy shrugged.

Gwaine shook his head. “You’re not too busy to chat with him for hours every day.” He got up. “If you don’t meet with him by the end of the week, I’ll go hunt him down and show you that he isn’t who he says he is. He’s probably even a girl who thinks it’s funny to lead a bloke on.”

+++

He’s probably a girl. Percy swallowed nervously and wiped his hands on his jeans for the third time. What if Gwaine was right? What if the bloke he thought he would meet now wasn’t a bloke at all? Or an old man or something else he didn’t want? 

Gwaine hadn’t let go and deep down, Percy knew he was right, he had to do something. So he had shyly suggested a date. Not really a date date, just a…let’s spend our lunch breaks together, okay, a date. First, the other person (that was Gwaine’s doing, Percy had stopped thinking of the other one as a man, as André) had been a bit reluctant, but then suggested a sandwich shop and said they were looking forward to finally meeting him. 

Now, Percy stood in front of the door, trying to muster the courage to enter. What would he find? He had always hated blind dates and he had never seen a photo of André. It didn’t seem to matter. They talked for hours and Percy had fallen more and more for the person he knew online. What if they were so different in real life that he couldn’t find the online persona in the real man? If he showed up at all. Taking another deep breath, Percy pushed the door open and stepped into the place. 

He looked around, trying to see if André was already there but when none of the patrons reacted, he got himself a water and found a table in the back from where he could the door. Each time the door opened, he looked up, but people just came in, grabbed their food, ordered a drink and either were busy just having lunch or took their things and left again. After about then minutes, Percy was convinced that André wouldn’t show up at all. Then again, he had been way too early, he needed to give the man some time to arrive.

Percy was just about to check his messages to see if André at least had the decency to cancel their date as someone stepped up to his table. 

“Percival?”

Looking up, Percy was faced with a tall blond – okay, not as tall as himself, but that was difficult anyway – with piercing blue eyes and a friendly smile. He somehow looked familiar. “Yes?”

“It’s me, we were supposed to meet here.”

Percy stared. This couldn’t be! After all that talk from Gwaine, Percy had convinced himself that he would be faced with an ugly old gnome but this bloke was a god! “Oh…err…hi!” He jumped up and held out his hand.

The blond shook it and pulled up a chair, putting his sunglasses on the table. “Your name really is Percival?”

“Yes?” What was that supposed to mean? “People call me Percy, though.”

“I’m not André.”

Percy swallowed. There it started. The man he had fallen in love with online didn’t exist. Not even the name was real. 

“I’m Arthur and by the look you threw me, you have seen my face before.”

“Huh?” 

“I’m sure you’ve asked yourself why I’ve never sent you a photo. Percy, I don’t work for a law firm, it would drive me crazy. I’m Arthur Pendragon.”

As if that explained anything. Percy just blinked. 

Arthur, or whoever he really was, sank back in his chair, chuckling. “And you have never heard of me before, have you?”

Percy shrugged apologetically. “In which context?” He was utterly confused. 

The other turned his head and looked outside the large windows. 

Following his gaze, Percy spotted posters with Arthur’s face and the announcement ‘new album out now!’ plastered all over the wall on the other side of the street.

“You’re…him?”

Chuckling, Arthur turned back and shrugged. “Yes. I think you understand why I couldn’t reveal my identity.”

Percy still blinked, a little frown on his face. “What else was a lie?”

“Nothing at all. I am 29, I live in London, I love playing footie and it’s a pleasure meeting you.”

The smile that followed was so disarming that Percy couldn’t help but smile back. “Likewise. So…let me get this straight. You’re this famous musician and you still go to chatrooms and such?”

“I’m not _that_ famous yet, it’s only my third album.”

“Still…I don’t get it. You must have a lot of gigs and such…you should be meeting tons of people.” Percy blinked. He felt a bit stupid that he didn’t know who Arthur was but he wasn’t too big on music, preferred the movies. 

Arthur nodded. “And they all want a piece of me or rather…they want a piece of what they think is me. It’s difficult to meet someone who wants to meet me for me, if that makes sense.”

“So you’re not who you are for the public? You’re acting…?”

Once again, Arthur nodded. “Well, of course that person is me. But it’s just a part of me, the colourful part, the interesting part. If they all knew how boring and normal I really am, they would lose interest very soon.”

Percy listened. “Not if your music is good.” 

“Are you saying my music isn’t good?” Arthur winked. 

“No! Nono, that’s not what I meant, I’m sorry. I don’t even know your music. And with everything I say I’ll put my foot deeper into my mouth, won’t I?” He made a face.

Arthur laughed. “No, you won’t. It’s refreshing to finally meet someone who’s not in it for some sort of fame or fortune.” His face grew serious. “I meant every word I said in chat. I like you and I really would like to get to know you better. I have a crazy schedule and I might have to change plans on short notice but I’d really like if you considered giving it a try.”

Percy looked up and into Arthur’s eyes for a long moment before he nodded. “Just…no more lies, okay?”

“Promised.”

The blinding smile he got for an answer made Percy’s heart flutter. 

“Okay, this was supposed to be a lunch date.” Arthur looked around. “Can I buy you a sandwich?”

While Arthur got the sandwiches and waited in line to pay, Percy snapped a pic with his mobile and sent it to Gwaine. _See? Real!_


End file.
